The XMEN Clan Forums

Sooo.. I bought one of these. It will be another week or so (at least) before it ships, since there's a bunch of backlog. But I'm excited. Partly because it's a kit and I get to build it from (basically) scratch, so I'll really get a good understanding of how it works, and I can tinker a lot with the hardware and software. One thing I want to do is set it up with dual extruders (or maybe a diamond head) so I can print multiple filaments in the same object. There is also supposed to be a CNC kit coming out for it soon. And even if not, you can use easy casting techniques to turn plastic 3d parts into solid metal or other materials. And I'll have a reason to hone my (currently non-existent) 3d modeling skills. And my wife has been browsing thingiverse for stuff that she can use in her knitting hobby.


https://folgertech.com/collections/3d-p ... rinter-kit

Awesome! I've been wanting to get a 3D printer, but I don't have an application in mind, so it's a non-starter with the wife. Post back once you get it built!

whats the first thing you gonna make?

Well, the wife has some knitting-related things she'd like, so I got her some pink filament. Right now I've got it built, but there's a problem with the control panel. I can still work it via laptop though, so trying to get my settings correct (there are a LOT of variables!) My first attempt was a bitcoin model and it came out really rough. Going to try a test cube now.

Ok, so other than test prints, my first prints were... printer parts. Cable clips and the like. Doesn't matter if they're perfect, just functional. Great.

First actual, non-test object is a tripod mount for my phone. My stepdaughter is getting married on Saturday and her grandparents can't make it, so I'm going to try to stream it for them on facebook live. I found a mount that was close on thingiverse, downloaded it and played with it in Blender for a bit. Basically I stretched the long section of the part so that it would fit across my phone, and shrank the mounting hole slightly so I could screw the tripod into the plastic instead of having to use a nut. (Not very reusable but that's ok for this.) Only took three tries to get something workable, and learned how to set up Blender for CAD-ish work in the process.

Next things, not necessarily in order:
Learning about printing with supports.
Fine-tuning for a nicer surface.
Learn how to slice a model into parts for merging later.
Print some figurines or models for the fun of it.
Finishing techniques - sanding, painting, etc.
More Blender lessons.
And oh, yeah... those knitting things.